Cricket: England were today rocked by the news that Kevin Pietersen is out of the remainder of the Ashes. Pietersen, 29, has been ruled out of action for six weeks following an operation on his Achilles tendon.
After being assessed by a leading specialist earlier today it was decided that surgery was the best option.
Pietersen first incurred the discomfort earlier this summer and sat out the one-day series against the West Indies to recuperate.
But the combination of rest and painkilling injections could not get him through English cricket’s premier series.
Pietersen said: “As an England cricketer the Ashes are the pinnacle of the game so I’m absolutely devastated to be missing the rest of this series.
“Up until now the Achilles injury has been manageable but it recently reached the point where we needed to look at other options in terms of treatment.
“I hate missing matches for England and especially during an Ashes summer but now that the decision has been made to undergo surgery I’m confident I can return to the England team injury-free following a course of rehabilitation.”
Although Pietersen played in the 115-run victory over Australia at Lord’s, he spent lengthy spells off the field and was clearly in pain when running.
“I was pleased with the previous course of treatment as it allowed me to take part in this Ashes series but unfortunately the injury has recently deteriorated,” said Pietersen.
“To leave a winning dressing room at this time is heartbreaking but it wouldn’t be fair to the team or myself to continue given the severity of the injury.”
Shane Watson, meanwhile, fears Australia's competitive edge has been blunted since they were told to cut the sledging. Ahead of the Ashes series Cricket Australia reminded players of their responsibility as role models and to set the right example.
Watson admitted the tourists have struggled to find the right balance between being gentlemen and intimidating opponents.
But with England now 1-0 up in the series, Watson warned Australia would pull out all the stops to retain the Ashes urn — because ultimately that is what their public will demand.
Watson said: “One thing Cricket Australia have said to us is to make sure we know where the line is and don’t cross it.
“It is a sticky one because of course the general public in Australia want us to be perfect role models and the hardest thing when you play is to be extremely competitive and not cross the line, in terms of the things the general public don’t want us to do like spitting and swearing.
“It is a fine line between being perfect role models and being competitive. As a group we don’t want to lose the edge. That is the reason we have been so good in the past because of how competitive we are and we don’t take a backward step.
“We have got to make sure we do everything we can to win, in the end, because that is what Cricket Australia and the Australian public do want.”
Australia have concerns over the form of Mitchell Johnson and the fitness of Brett Lee, who is recovering from a side strain and is unlikely to play in a three-day warm-up against Northamptonshire which starts on Friday.